


Let me in

by Assapanick



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Eventual Smut, Horcruxes, King's Cross, Limbo, M/M, Manipulative Voldemort, Master of Death Harry Potter, Possessive Voldemort (Harry Potter), Possible Mpreg, Restoring Horcruxes, Slow Burn, Souls, Stockholm Syndrome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-06-22 01:17:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15570567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Assapanick/pseuds/Assapanick
Summary: When Harry ends up at Kings Cross, Voldemort sees through the eyes of the Horcrux under the chair. He listens in on the conversation and learns that Harry was a Horcrux. But when Dumbledore leaves and implies that Harry can go back, he decides that Harry should remain his Horcrux.





	1. Chapter 1

When Voldemort first came to, he had no idea why everything hurt so much. He could barely draw a breath in and he felt small and weak, like the body he had before his resurrection. How could this have happened? The last thing that he remembered was the Boy-Who-Lived walking in to the clearing just when he thought he wouldn’t show up. He had stood there across from him, appearing to feign confidence but not reaching for his wand in defence. 

 

This had made the Dark Lord hesitate before shooting the killing curse at his prophesied enemy.  Somehow the boy had been a trap, the Dark Lord thought. Until, to his surprise,  _ Dumbledore  _ of all people showed up. The dead man’s explanations of his side of the war in the past years revealed that, no, the boy had not a plan when he stood across from him in the Forbidden Forest. Other than dying. 

 

The boy had been his Horcrux! So that’s what he was seeing from. He was currently seeing through his soul shard that had been in the boy. Hearing, really, since he still could not open his eyes. This body was useless! Shifting again, and whimpering in pain, he heard the conversation halt and the former Headmaster assure the boy that there was nothing that could help him. 

 

Clearly, he was talking about Lord Voldemort under the chair, for that is what he saw when he finally cracked an eye open. It was so infuriating to be ignored, but as the conversation picked up he understood that Dumbledore had no idea Lord Voldemort was listening. Thought that this shard of soul was unable to do more than breathe shakily. 

 

Had no idea that he was in control of this shard of soul only momentarily. Like when he controlled his wonderful Nagini.

 

Had no idea that Lord Voldemort was hearing him spill every secret. All of Dumbledore’s plans on the side of the Light.

 

Had no idea that he would be able to pull himself back to the main soul in the Forbidden Forest with this knowledge. 

 

So Lord Voldemort listened. Listened while the old man claimed that the boy was not really dead and that the shard of soul was destroyed. It certainly was not! He could feel the shard’s pain in this frail little body, but it wasn’t destroyed. More importantly, how could that brat not be dead? 

The boy’s blood, Dumbledore believed? So the Dark Lord had tied Harry to the world as much as Harry did the Dark Lord? The shock of that made another whimper escape his mouth as his body twitched. Was he implying that the boy would be able to return to the living world?

 

If so, could the boy be made a Horcrux again? This shard of soul, while damaged, could still serve its purpose. If it was true that they tied each other to life, then the boy was a perfect vessel for his soul.

 

Yes! He would use the boy and protect him like his Nagini. He could do nothing now while the old man was still talking. So he would bide his time, learn all the old man’s secrets, and hope that the fool would leave the boy before the boy returned to the living world. Of course he could always put a new piece of soul into his boy if he wasn’t able to have him take this piece back. It wasn’t ideal, as he already had such a small amount of his soul in the main body already.

 

There was already a victim waiting for his sacrifice for the ritual in the forest, if needed. The half giant from his school days was held captive right now by his death eaters. Or, should he let his vessel choose? 

 

He would start to need to win his boy’s loyalty. Sure, he would fight at first, but Lord Voldemort had eternity to woo him. This could be the beginning. Let the boy choose the one to die to turn him back into his Horcrux! It would be wonderful. He could lie the boy’s chosen death eater at his feet, the first of many gifts!

 

He was drawn out of his plans by something else the old man said. That he  _ guessed  _ that the boy wouldn’t die. How could Harry sit there and take this so well? His vessel was too forgiving if all that Dumbledore was saying wasn’t enough to turn him from the old man. He would turn this loyalty to Lord Voldemort in the future, so the Dark Lord calmed himself with that thought.

 

Now the old man was laughing at his Harry claiming to be in King’s Cross. How  _ dare  _ he laugh at his boy! He forced his eyes open again, and, yes, it was King’s Cross. Was Harry fond of the station? Could one gift someone a train station? Lord Voldemort would find a way. He would give his boy any gift he desired. That, and more. 

 

He needed to stay focused at the moment. Time to dwell on the things he would give his boy later. Especially because right now his boy was defending Dumbledore from himself? He did not want to hear this! Harry’s loyalty should be with him! Still, it was nice to hear the old man weak and depressed so he laughed.

 

No, wait, that was another whimper. 

 

He really couldn’t wait to be back in his main body, but he would hold out here to see if he had a chance of re-using this shard of soul. 

 

Was Dumbledore going to go into his whole life’s story? This did not interest Lord Voldemort at-  _ was he crying? _ Sure enough as he peeled his eyes open once more the old man was openly sobbing as his boy comforted him. He eventually continued his story to the dark wizard’s disappointment.

 

This bit about the Deathly Hallows was new to his relief. Hearing that Harry was the true owner of the Hallows made sticking around worth it, even if his other plan did not work out. Finding out that he wasn’t the true owner of the Elder Wand added to his already mounting frustration over his situation and he couldn’t hold back another pained moan. 

 

They had stopped talking now and he checked to see if his disturbance caught their attention, but no. They were both still facing away from him. 

 

When Harry asked if he had to go back and Dumbledore replied with he had the choice to go on Voldemort nearly choked. His vessel could not pass on! No! He was to return to his Lord in the forest! 

 

Harry turned to look at him then and Lord Voldemort tried to gather himself. This was it! Dumbledore was leading him toward returning now with the idea that he could save more of his friends’ lives this way. Lord Voldemort could work with that. If the old fool would just  _ leave!  _

 

He did. As his old enemy faded away for, hopefully, the last time he knew he had to think quick. Harry would depart any moment, too. Even though he had plans in place for this not working out, it would be the best outcome for Harry to retake this piece.

 

The thought of having one Horcrux remaining, one anchor to immortality, was enough to send him into a near panic. What could he do? Until now, all he had done was listen in on their conversation and try to breathe. The shard of soul he was in control of at the moment was in no shape to even hope of overpowering the boy. 

 

The boy was a Gryffindor though, and Tom Riddle was once a good actor. He had to be, to charm the professors and his schoolmates. Now he would have to make the boy want to bring him back. He knew what he could pretend to be to get the boy to accept him.

 

“ _ Harry…”   _ He finally rasps, hardly making any noise at all. In the silence of the station, however, it was enough. Merlin, did he sound pathetic right now, but that would only help him in getting his former host’s attention. “ _ Harry, wait..” _

 

The boy jerked before turning to look at him, as if he was scared of him. He had wanted that before, but not now! The boy would need to trust him. He stood there warily, seemingly uncertain if he should move closer or further away. 

 

His weak body would not be able to carry him over to the boy, but surely his struggle would draw the boy closer out of sympathy. So, attempt to move he did. Rolling his body over onto his stomach he forced his thin limbs to push himself up wheezing the entire time. Sure enough, even that was too much. One blood soaked hand slipped and he was down again.

 

Before anger at his own state could set in the boy took a few hurried steps forward, before catching himself and stopping. “There’s nothing I can do for you here.” 

 

“ _ Feels better…” _

 

“What does?”  The boy asked, bewildered. 

 

“ _ Being closer..”  _

 

At last, showing something more than unease, the boy tensed and spat, “You deserve this pain! After all the deaths you’ve caused, the suffering you’ve caused others in this war!”

“ _ Not me… been with you…”  _ If only he could find the breath to make complete sentences! He didn’t need to try and pretend to be in need of help apparently, this cursed body  _ did  _ need help. The boy took a few steps closer now, so he took a deeper breath and tried again. “ _ Not me in this war… I’ve been with you.” _

 

“You’re part of him! And even if it wasn’t you now, you did the same in the first war. Killed my parents! You were there for that!” He was getting angier, clenching his fists now. “So what if you’ve been with me since then, what difference does that make?”

 

“ _ I’ve seen your life… been through everything… with you..”  _ That had been a lie when he first opened his mouth to say that, but memories of a younger Harry, from the boy’s perspective came to the front of his mind now. How useful. 

 

“Don’t compare my life with yours. I’ve already heard that before, we’re not the same.” Ah, so he had. Flashes of the boy in Salazar’s chamber with the diary’s shard were playing for him. How could he turn this to his benefit? 

 

“ _ I know.. I see more than what the younger version of me did…”  _  He was about to sound like that old fool Dumbledore, but he’d do whatever it took to keep this boy as his horcrux. “ _ I was unable to forgive those that hurt me as a child. Unable to feel love, until I felt it through you…” _

 

Harry seemed at a loss for a moment before scoffing. “Yeah, like I’d believe Voldemort could feel love.”

 

He’d refused anybody the right to call him by his birth name decades ago and cursed those who dared since. So what better way to shock the golden boy? “ _ Tom.”  _ The boys eyes went wide. “ _ I’m no longer him. Call me Tom.” _

 

Ah, that did it. Anger gone, the boy looked stunned, slowly dropping to his knees in front of the soul shard’s battered body. He couldn’t look more confused.  “You want me to call you Tom?” 

 

“ _ Yes, Harry, please call me Tom.”  _  With how close the boy was now, breathing came easy, though his voice was still raspy. Lord Voldemort even said ‘please’. He could not recall the last time he bothered with such pleasantries. Was he laying on this act too thick? He had to keep going regardless.

 

“ _ I don’t want the same as the Voldemort you left in the forrest wants.”  _ Which was true enough, he had wanted Harry dead. Now, the boy would soon carry his soul and he would never fear death again. He reached his thin arms out to the boy. “ _ I wanted to protect you. Wanted to help you.” _

 

Still looking more confused than the Dark Lord had ever seen him, the chosen one reached back to him and carefully brought the child-like being into his arms. Lord Voldemort did not need to fake the contended sign that escaped his mouth. Yes, he would have no problem sinking this shard of soul back into Harry’s. Perhaps this time, too, Harry would feel no pain from his touch if he was a willing Horcrux like Nagini. This plan was looking better than ever to the Dark Lord.

 

“I…” He started, uncertain. “I can’t take you back with me. The whole point of me dying was to get rid of the Horcrux. To make him mortal again. If I take you back…” He trailed off.

 

“ _ Then I could help you defeat him. He still has Nagini, I know you didn’t want to leave that to your friends. Even weakened, Lord Voldemort is powerful. How many more of those you love will die trying to defeat him?”  _

 

Harry clutched him tighter at that, as if seeking comfort. “I don’t want anyone else to be killed, but if I take you back I’ll have to die again. If you truly want to help me, you know that’s what will happen. I’m going back so I can defeat you.”

 

“ _ I know, Harry, and I know you. If you go back without me, you run the risk of more loved ones dying. If you go back with me we can protect your friends and leave him vulnerable to them. If it’s your life or theirs, I know what you’ll choose.”  _

 

If the use of his hated birth name was enough to get Harry to start to believe he was  _ changed,  _ then his supposed willingness to die with Harry should remove any remaining doubt. “ _ Then we can pass on together, Harry.” _

 

The boy took a shuddering breath, eyes wide once more, this time with a bit of wonder. He should look at Lord Voldemort like this always. Maybe with some admiration, too. Voldemort saved this to memory, once back in the living world and the deception was up, his boy would not look at him like this. He would have eternity to win him back, though, sway him to his Lord’s side. 

 

“I don’t want anyone else to get hurt, Tom, but how can you help me? I don’t understand.”

 

“ _ You weren’t aware of me in you before, all you have to do is call out to me in your head and I’ll be there.You’ll have my knowledge at your disposal. The spells you’ll need to defeat him. Enough so that you need not lose anyone else.” _

 

“You’ll really help me? I can’t see anyone else die for me.”

 

“ _ Anything for you, Harry.”  _ The horcrux reached up a frail blood-dripping hand to his vessel’s face, resting it gently on a cheek.  _ “Let me back in, Harry, and let’s go back. Let me in, just one more time.” _

 

-

 

Harry woke to dirt of the Forbidden Forest in his face. He was disoriented for a moment as he heard Bellatrix worry over Voldemort on the other side of the clearing. Had something happened to him, too? He didn’t have time to dwell on that. He was still surrounded by countless Death Eaters, but at least he wasn’t alone now. Filled with hope and determination once more, he mentally called out to his new ally.

 

_ Tom! Did it work? Are you still with me? _

 

“Yes, my soul, it worked.”

 

Harry’s eyes flew open. Voldemort was right above him, red eyes boring into his own. 

 

Harry pulled himself up a bit, to run, or to fight, he wasn’t sure. In his shocked state he wasn’t moving fast enough. How had everything gone wrong! 

 

The Dark Lord was too close now. One hand reaching to cup his cheek again. It didn’t hurt. Voldemort’s touch didn’t hurt-  _ and what had he done! _

 

“Lord Voldemort is very pleased with you, Harry.”

 

Harry didn’t get the chance to say anything back before Voldemort, with a creepily out of place, almost tender smile, brought his wand up to Harry’s chest. 

 

“I’ll take care of everything from here.”

 

Harry’s world went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the first story I've ever written. So go easy on me while I figure out what I'm doing! Not just with writing, but with tagging and the ratings, too. There really wasn't much Harry/Voldemort in this, but it's my favorite pairing and I want to contribute to the wonderful collection of Harrymort already here. Hopefully I can improve for the next one.
> 
> Lastly, this is a one-shot. I'll probably be sticking to those until I'm more confidant and feel I could tackle a multi-chapter beast.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as asked, I wrote more. Uh, it's more than I expected and I didn't even get to the part I was thinking about... yeah, so there's already another chapter in progress. I hope no one minds that I'm just adding more chapters to this instead of the separate one shot like I planned. It's just kind of getting away from me. I think I ramble on way too much in my writing.

He’s in a bubble. That’s the first thing he notices when he opens his eyes. He’s in a bubble and so is Voldemort’s pet snake, Nagini. Not the same bubble, no, but floating next to his. She was staring at him and while part of him thought he should be scared, he wasn’t.

 

In fact, he didn’t feel much of anything. Contentment was all Harry felt, or that was as close to what he was feeling as he could think to describe. He stared back at the massive snake and wondered to himself about why he wasn’t afraid. The snake had attacked him when he was at Godric’s Hollow, so he should feel something, shouldn’t he?

 

_ “You need not fear me anymore, brother.”  _ The snake hissed to him. Confusion must have shown on his face, for she continued. “ _ You are thinking very loudly. Master has fixed our connection so we may speak without speaking aloud.” _

 

_ “But you are speaking aloud right now.”  _ He hissed back. 

 

The snake let out a few breathy hisses. Laughs? “ _ It makes Master’s followers uncomfortable when I speak. They tremble in fear of me. It looks like your voice does the same for them. Speak with me more.” _

 

At that, Harry finally took in more of his surroundings. They were moving through the Forbidden Forest, he and Nagini, in their bubbles, floating above Voldemort’s head. Death Eaters followed behind them. The few that glanced in his direction did look uncomfortable. Bellatrix, like Nagini, was staring at him, but he couldn’t read the emotion on her face. 

 

Oh, and Hagrid, too. Huh, what was he doing in this group?

 

That’s right, Hagrid had been in the clearing when he walked to his death. Hadn’t he died? He spoke to Dumbledore, too, who was dead. Why wasn’t he?

 

His bubble lowered to float next to Voldemort as the snake-like man continued to walk through the forest. “ _ You decided to come back. Do you remember that?” _

 

He did. “ _ I came back to defeat you.”  _ Then, glancing up at the large snake, “ _ And Nagini, too. She’s your last Horcrux…” _

 

Harry trailed off and Voldemort remained silent. Patient, as Harry’s memory caught up. 

 

_ “I’m still your Horcrux, aren’t I?” _

 

A warm feeling trickled out of his scar, spreading through his body. Amusement and joy, but not his own, flowed into him from his connection with Voldemort and he couldn’t help but crack a smile. 

 

_ “It amuses Lord Voldemort to see you so complacent, my Harry. Your strong personality is missed, however, and you will be released from this spell after we finish here. For now your Lord needs your cooperation.”  _ So he was under a spell. That explained his nearly non-existent emotions in this odd situation. He’d probably be angry right now. Or maybe scared? He’d failed at his task, everything that he’d worked toward his whole life.

 

_ “You have not failed. You have succeeded in taking your rightful place in life, my wayward Horcrux.” _

 

Harry didn’t agree, but he didn’t feel the need to argue either. He shifted to a more comfortable position in his bubble and watched the edge of the forest come into view. Odd, he had thought not too long ago that he’d die in this forest and never leave. 

 

Before they reached the edge of the forest, Voldemort turned Harry’s bubble to face him once more. “ _ Who else knows of Lord Voldemort’s Horcruxes?” _

 

Emotionless as he was, he didn’t feel fear at the question. Not fear for his sake, or for his friends’ sakes. He still had enough sense of self to know he didn’t want to answer that question, however. He wouldn’t betray his friends like that. Not that it seemed to have made a difference, he realized when the Dark Lord spoke next.

 

_ “Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley.”  _ That’s right, Voldemort way privy to his every thought now thanks to whatever he had done to him before he woke up in his bubble. He came back from dying to protect them and he’s only made their lives worse. 

 

_ “Lord Voldemort wants to make his treasures happy. Your friends will be captured, if possible, instead of killed. They will need to answer for destroying my other Horcruxes, and Lord Voldemort though not forgiving, will try for you.” _

 

“ _ Nagini would be happy with someone to eat.”  _ Said snake hissed, reminding the boy of her presence. He had told Neville to target the snake, didn’t he? He hadn’t told him that she was a Horcrux, but was he in danger for what little he knew?

 

_ “He stood no chance against Nagini’s might!”  _ The large green snake hissed loudly shifting around agitatedly, causing some of the nearer Death Eaters to flinch back. “ _ Nagini does not like that you told others to attack her, but she understands. I once dreamed of the day I would eat you. Now I do not.”  _

 

More amusement came through the connection. Had Voldemort ever remained this happy this long? Harry had thought he was constantly angry. Or murderous. Was that an emotion? For Voldemort, probably. 

 

_ “So this Neville, too? He shall be captured along with the other two. Lord Voldemort will decide on what to do with him later.”  _ Nagini’s bubble floated down near Harry’s and merged with his. Harry had a lapful of large squirming green snake before she hissed and coiled around him getting comfortable in their now shared bubble. “ _ They do not stand a chance of hurting my Nagini, but your Lord will take no chances. They will all hesitate to put your life in danger by attacking her.”  _

 

_ “You are a comfortable human. Nagini is pleased with your warmth.”  _ She came to settle wrapped loosely around him with her large head in his lap. “ _ Pet Nagini’s scales, brother. Feel the strength in her body. Nagini will bite any who dare harm you.” _

 

Not sure what else to do, Harry did just that. Floating in a large protective bubble with Lord Voldemort’s notorious familiar wrapped around him, he leaned into her strong embrace stroked her scales. He knew this was real, but with his missing emotions it felt like more of a dream. Not that he’d ever dream of anything close to this.

 

Seeing his two remaining soul containers getting along must have delighted the Dark Lord, for Harry once more felt a rush of warmth from his scar. He wondered just what a sight he made. He was basically cuddling with Nagini, and with the steady stream of  _ affection  _ he felt from Voldemort he couldn’t keep the small smile off his face. 

 

“ _ You make a most enchanting sight, my Horcrux.” _

 

Another feeling from Voldemort rolled into him, but he wasn’t going to name it. Not that he had a chance to really acknowledge it as at that moment they emerged from the treeline and walked a few paces onto the castle’s lawn. 

 

The Dark Lord came to a stop, as did his followers and their captives behind him. Though his face remained neutral, Harry could feel how confident, how smug the Dark Lord was in this moment as he gazed at Hogwarts. 

 

-

 

Voldemort could afford to take his time now. Enjoy this glorious moment where he knew the Dark had finally won. Too many of his Horcruxes may have been destroyed, but now he had the boy. And what an addition to his most prized possessions the boy made! If only he had known sooner of Harry’s worth. He could have spirited him away with him, far from Dumbledore’s influence. 

 

Curious though that he did not notice earlier. He had touched the boy’s scar in the graveyard after his resurrection. Then, at the ministry, when he tried to possess him. Surely he should have felt his own soul in the boy during one of those times? Nagini holds less of his soul than his boy, yet he feels her connection so strongly. 

 

Maybe this is another of Dumbledore’s meddlesome interferences. From the conversation he heard when they were between worlds, it sounded like the old Headmaster had been aware of what Harry carried in him for some time. He would have had time to place enchantments on the boy to block as much of their connection as he could. 

 

He turned to look at Harry floating in his protective sphere. It did not matter how long it took to find this treasure, because he found it. He was immensely grateful that he was pulled through the Horcrux connection when he was. To imagine what might have happened otherwise would only anger him. He would have won, of course, but this victory was so much sweeter than he’d ever fantasized. 

 

Harry made eye contact with him, smiling still, as he felt his Lord’s delight at their soon-to-be victory filling his being. The spell he used to mute all of Harry’s own worked better than he expected. 

 

He had, at first, planned on keeping the boy asleep until the battle was truly over. Asleep and  _ away _ from any possible threat. He thought briefly, of apparating the boy somewhere safe before addressing the rest of the resistance. However, the desire to keep his two Horcruxes nearby won out. That, and his Harry should be witness to the moment his Lord vanquished the last of the rebels that stood against them. Harry would someday treasure this memory.

 

There was also the possibility that Harry’s presence at the Dark Lord’s side bringing a more peaceful end to the battle. It would not do to have his Horcrux be disruptive, as he no doubt would be if his emotions were present. No, he needed Harry calm at his side, not angry or scared like he was in the short moment between waking and being placed under protective charms. So temporarily dampening Harry’s emotions it was. The fact that it made Lord Voldemort’s own emotions fill Harry as if they were the boy’s own, was unexpected, but amusing to watch. 

 

Like a child anxious to open a present, Voldemort could wait no longer to secure his victory. Hogwarts, and the rest of the British Wizarding World would now be his. 

 

“The battle is over. Lord Voldemort has won.” His high cold voice, amplified again, carried over the grounds and into the castle. “There is no need for more bloodshed, it is time to give your loyalty to your new Lord and we will begin rebuilding our world.”

 

The group continued to approach the castle as its inhabitants cautiously made their way out to see what was now happening. At the front of the growing crowd, a tired looking McGonagall caught sight of Harry wrapped up in Nagini. 

 

“Potter!”

 

That drew the attention of the boy’s little band of friends, too, for they spotted him next.

 

“Let him go, you monster!” A red-headed girl cried out, as what looked to be her mother held her from running at them. A thought from Harry informs him that they are in fact mother and daughter. Ginny and Molly Weasley. 

 

“Harry! No!” This time it was Ronald Weasley, one of the two that knew and hunted his Horcruxes alongside his boy. Next to him, the bushy haired Hermione Granger stood in shock, mouth slightly open. Her eyes widened even more, drawing in a breath, as if coming to a realization. Lord Voldemort had heard of her supposed brilliance, and wondered if she had just realized Harry’s status as one of the Dark Lord’s Horcruxes. 

 

He itched to kill her and the boy standing beside her. They knew too much, had  _ dared to hunt down parts of his soul.  _ He wanted to do much more than kill these two for crimes of that magnitude against him. Longed to torture them, watch them tremble before him in fear as he-

 

A low hiss from Nagini drew him out of his quickly escalating rage. Harry looked confused with a slight crease in his brow, like he was angry, but didn’t know why. While the boy could feel the Dark Lord’s emotions, he wasn’t aware of his thoughts, so that made sense. For this cherished prize of his he would  _ attempt  _ to deal with the other two of the golden trio another way. His Harry was attached to them. For now.

 

If Lord Voldemort had been told that they were the ultimate Gryffindors and would most likely rather die fighting than give up the fight, well that wasn’t his fault. Harry would… eventually understand.

 

“Harry Potter has come to no harm. He has made the right choice and surrendered himself to me.” The Dark Lord reached a pale hand through the protective bubble to thread long fingers once through the chosen one’s hair, pulling a stray leaf out of the messy tresses. Harry’s face morphed back to his earlier happier smile as his Lord soothed his own rage.  “As you can see, I am a merciful Lord if only you comply. Lay down your wands and come join me.”

 

“Harry would never join you! You’ve done something to him!” Ginny Weasley broke away from her mother’s grasp in her anger, stopping just ahead of the crowd. “That’s not Harry! You think we’d believe that he’d sit there and- and  _ let you pet him?”  _

 

“She’s right, we all know that Harry would rather die than join you!” So this was Neville Longbottom, the last of the persons he was looking for. The boy came to stand next to the firey girl. “ _ We _ will never join you!”

 

“Looks like you don’t know little Harry as well as you thought! He’s the Dark Lord’s now.” Bellatrix cackled. “My Lord, can I teach them a lesson?”

 

“Calm, Bella. I shall give them one more chance.” He spoke in a low tone to his most faithful. “Should they refuse again, you may have your fun.”

 

Surveying the assembled crowd, the Dark Lord could see many uncertain faces. Many kept staring at his prize floating next to him. It was indeed the right choice to keep Harry at his side for this. The sight of their Golden boy, unharmed at his side would draw some of them over without a fight.

 

“Merciful, I may be, but Lord Voldemort’s patience is running out. Those that wish to join me peacefully must do so now.” The high cold voice of the Dark Lord called out again, “Those that remain opposing me, I cannot promise your safety. Make your choice now.”

 

The Malfoy heir was the one to break from the crowd first. He rushed in the direction of his waiting parents, glancing once over at Harry with confusion clear on his face. His movement seemed to encourage others into action, as a few dozen students made their way over behind him. Most of them were of his own house, yes, but some were from the other houses as well. 

 

There were hushed arguments going on amongst the rebels, and the Dark Lord watched quietly as their disagreements divided their number even more.

 

“We can’t just give up! Don’t go to them!”

 

“Potter has! If he’s safe, why shouldn’t I be?”

 

“What chance do we stand anyway? I don’t want to die!”

 

“Potter was the one supposed to defeat him, who else could now?”

 

A good amount of the chatter around them had to do with the fact their hero had apparently switched sides. Yes, Lord Voldemort thought to himself proudly, bringing Harry along was the right choice. 

 

“ _ Do you see, my soul? Do you see all the students you have saved with your presence at your Lord’s side alone?”  _ The Dark Lord hissed, bringing the boys attention back to him. “ _ You came back to save as many as you could, did you not? Do you still think you’ve failed?” _

 

_ “But my friends… they won’t… and you’ll…”  _

 

“ _ You could convince them.” _

 

Harry said nothing in response to that, but his thoughts on that idea came through their connection anyway. He wanted his friends safe, but not by giving in to the Dark Lord.  _ Well, _ Voldemort heard him think,  _ What else can we do if I’m a horcrux? _

 

Harry had stopped petting Nagini as he thought about his friend’s options. She butted her head back into his hand with a displeased hiss to get him to start again. If it were anyone other than Harry, another piece of his own soul, the Dark Lord thought he would be jealous of how quickly Nagini was growing to like the boy.

 

The Dark Lord turned his red gaze back to the rest of the students and professors that still stood stubbornly in opposition. The Weasley boy was trying to encourage the others that they could still win even if it was clear that they were now hopelessly outnumbered. The muggleborn next to him, however, still hadn’t said a word. Her mind no doubt running through all the options still left to them.

 

The trickle of witches and wizards approaching them in surrender came to a stop and Lord Voldemort raised his voice again. “So many of your number has seen reason. Why do you still resist your future? We will rebuild our world better than before.”

 

“We want no part of the future you want for us!” There was the Longbottom boy again. The other students around him made noises of agreement. Looks like the majority of Harry’s little club remained. This would upset his boy, but he’d get over it eventually. 

 

“You’re all cowards!” Ron Weasley hollered, clearly referring to those that lined up among the Death Eaters. “He’s tricked you, that can’t be Harry! I know him, he’d  _ never-!” _

 

There was a collective sharp intake of breath from people on both sides as the muggleborn Hermione Granger, wand lowered at her side harmlessly, took several steps away from her friends and allies. 

 

She had her eyes fixed on his protected Horcruxes, and despite her non-threatening stance, Lord Voldemort tensed minutely. 

 

“Harry, it is you, isn’t it?” She finally spoke. It was a question, but the girl’s tone suggested she already knew the answer and was resigned to what this meant. 

 

In his bubble Harry shifted onto his knees, forcing Nagini to readjust with her head near his shoulder. Placing both his hands in front of him on the barrier of his protective sphere, Harry said quietly, “It’s me, Mione.”

 

“I’d suspected for so long, hoped it wasn’t true, but-”

 

“I know.” His boy cut her off. Luckily for her, for if she had said anything about his Harry being his Horcrux in front of everyone her death would have been immediate. “I know, but it is. It’s over. I don’t know what to tell you… but I don’t want you to die.”

 

She must have already prepared herself for that response from her friend, for she didn’t hesitate anymore. With the bravery her house was known for, she turned to meet the piercing gaze of Lord Voldemort unflinchingly. 

 

“I surrender.”

 

From years of practice, the Dark Lord was able to keep any emotion from showing on his face. His Horcrux’s baffled expression however, as with every other feeling he’d had during this, perfectly matched how he felt on this development. 

 

_ Well,  _ Lord Voldemort thought,  _ at least this shall please Harry. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for how late this is going up after the last one. Like I said before, this had been intended as a one-shot, so while I had ideas for a continuation, I hadn't a concrete plan. I've started a bit of an outline to keep me on track since I've no idea what I'm doing with writing. Thanks to everyone for being so kind with your comments! I'll do my best to get better as I go!
> 
> I struggled with this chapter, and rewrote parts. But I don't think I can get it to what I want so I'm just going to move on instead.

 

Nagini had been dozing on Master’s bed where her new-found brother was wrapped up in blankets when she was so rudely awoken by said brother’s screams.

 

Nagini knew the boy would be waking up soon, too, she just had not expected this reaction. 

 

Harry had been asleep for a few days now. After the battle where her Master had finally won, he had taken the both of them here. Here being one of his ancestral homes, her Master had told her. Nagini did not care for the human dwellings, but this one had many holes in the walls for snakes to travel through. 

 

They gave Nagini access to any of the rooms here. Rooms which she explored in the last few days and a large surrounding forest for hunting! Now she’d seen all the rooms and she’d already eaten earlier today. Since it was just her and the human boy here while her Master was off dealing with his new world, she had no one to entertain her.

 

She had asked her Master to take her with him this morning, but this was the next best thing. She would learn more about her new brother. Help him understand what being one of their Master’s Horcruxes meant. 

 

The spell the boy was under, her Master told her, would take a few hours to fully wear off. So she had time to think of what she’d tell him when he woke up. Or she could show him just how powerful she was. Yes, she could show him the forest. Master said the boy couldn’t go to far, but if he waited at the edge, she could still show him the large prey she could take down.

 

He would be so impressed with Nagini’s strength! And, maybe he was. Just not in the way she expected.

 

The human boy had flung himself out of the bed and stood with his back against a wall. He looked to be searching for something on himself in a panic.

 

“My wand?” 

 

Ah, the magic branches the wizards used. 

 

“ _ Master has your things, brother.” _

 

His gaze shot back up to her at that. Good, Nagini was the most interesting thing in the room, he should focus on her.

 

“ _ Master will be back later. You can ask him about it then. For now, Nagini wants you to stroke her scales again. I can answer some of your questions if you have any, too.” _

 

_ “What? No! I’m not going anywhere near you!”  _ Why was he angry? To be around Nagini was a privilege! “ _ I- I wasn’t myself last time! There’s no way I’d willingly touch you!” _

 

Well, that was just rude. And not at all what Nagini expected.

 

-

 

As soon as the words left his mouth, Harry thought to himself that it might not be a great idea to piss off a massive snake that was over ten feet long. Luckily for him, Nagini seemed to be more annoyed than angry.

 

“ _ You were nicer to be around while you were sleeping. Nagini regrets asking for you to be awoken.” _

 

“ _ Awoken? How long have I been out?”  _ And  _ why the hell  _ had he been in a bed with Voldemort’s familiar?

 

_ “Nagini thinks it has been nearly a week.” _

 

A week? What had happened in that time? The last he remembers was floating in that damn bubble with the snake. Hermione had surrendered, but who else made it? The rest of it had all happened so fast in comparison.

 

Ron didn’t give in. Harry didn’t think he would. But, was he alive? Had he been captured? Harry had seen some of the teachers and students run, try to get away when they realized just how outnumbered they were. Did they make it? 

 

A large number of the students had given in to Voldemort’s demands. They had given in, because they had thought Harry had given in. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. They would be alive, yes, but in what kind of world?

 

Were they even safe? Did Voldemort kill any of them anyway? Oh, and  _ Hermione. _ Voldemort had seen his memories. Had seen how Hermione had helped Harry destroy the Dark Lord’s other Horcruxes. Had Harry led her to her death?

 

“ _ What happened to the people that surrendered?”  _ He was afraid to ask, but he had to know. 

 

“ _ Nagini has been here with you. She has not been given anyone to eat so far, unfortunately.” _

 

That was sort of a relief, but didn’t necessarily mean that they were alive. He would have to ask Voldemort himself when he saw him next, unless Harry left before the monster got back.  _ If _ Harry could leave, that is. 

 

The war was lost, wasn’t it? With their connection, Voldemort was the only person that could kill Harry, and now that he knew Harry was a Horcrux, he never would.  _ Of course _ the crippled piece of Voldemort’s soul under that chair had lied to him! He should have known. He had just been so tired. Tired of everything. He had been so unsure of everything and wanted someone to cling to and the Dark Lord took advantage.

 

So, no, he could never defeat Voldemort now, but did he have to be around the monster? He was just a little terrified of Nagini, but it didn’t look like she was going to attack him. She’d probably stop him from leaving, however. He doubted that was the only thing preventing his departure, too. The Dark Lord probably had him locked in this room with the whole place warded, wherever they were.

 

“ _ When will he be back?”  _ He hoped it wasn’t any time soon. He was probably busy out terrorizing his new subjects. “ _ Has he even been here since he dropped us off?” _

 

_ “Master always comes back here for rest. This is his room, where else would he sleep?” _

 

Wait.

 

“ _ He sleeps here? As in, here in this bed?” _

 

_ “Yes.” _

 

_ “The bed I’ve been sleeping in?!” _

 

The overwhelming feeling he had right now was disgust. How could he have slept next to that monster!  _ Why _ would have Voldemort wanted him there? The dark wizard had been oddly possessive. Maybe that shouldn’t be so surprising, based on how much he coveted the other pieces of his soul.  

 

Harry’s shock at the arrangement, was clearly misinterpreted by Nagini as she assured him of his right to be there. 

 

“ _ Now that Master nows you have a piece of his soul like Nagini, you are of course welcome in his nest! We are his most precious, he says.” _

 

_ “No. Nope. That is not happening again.”  _ Harry muttered, mostly to himself. His life had been quickly been becoming unpredictable and spiralling out of his control since the battle. Being on the run with Ron and Hermione had been exhausting, but he’d gladly go back to that life if he could right now. A cramped tent was far preferable to sharing a room,  _ sharing a bed,  _ with a Dark Lord and an enormous snake. Harry shivered.

 

He finally stopped staring at the bed only to notice a lone piece of parchment on a side table next to it. Did Voldemort leave him a note? How… ordinary.

 

Harry glanced back to the snake before taking a hesitant step closer. She flopped her head down onto the mattress, exasperated, letting out a hissy huff. “ _ Nagini still smells your fear. Brother, you are safe with me.” _

 

_ “Well, pardon me if I’m wary! I’ve seen you eat people!”  _ He couldn’t help but snap. Her almost pouty behaviour did calm him somewhat and he was able to grab the note. He ignored her hissed comment about the people she’s eaten rarely tasting good.

 

_ Harry _

 

_ Nagini has requested your company. You are welcome to explore your new home, but know that you will be unable to leave the grounds. This is one of my noble ancestor’s properties and has not seen use in many decades. I have aquired house elves to restore the place and you may call for Pip for your meals. _

 

_ Lord Voldemort _

 

That certainly didn’t tell him much. It was a little surprising to find he wasn’t confined to one room though. It was a decently large room, but it would feel small if he was trapped in it. He had been too busy panicking earlier to really take it all in.

 

It clearly belonged to a Slytherin descendant with abundance of the color green in the room. The large bed and its side tables were made up of a dark wood. Against a wall stood a wardrobe and near the center of the room was a small rounded table with two chairs, all in the same dark wood as the bed. Two cushioned chairs sat on either side of a stone fireplace that had the Slytherin crest carved in the rock above the mantle. 

 

It was just like being in the Slytherin common room again, Harry thought grimacing. The red and gold of Gryffindor was much more comforting to him. 

 

Wait, was he still in Hogwarts? The room was made of stone, so he appeared to be in a castle. There was light coming in through the tall and narrow windows in the room, so he wasn’t near the Slytherin common room in the dungeons under the lake, but he could be somewhere else in the castle.

 

Feeling a spark of hope, he rushed over to the closest window. As he stepped between the rugs that coated most of the cold stone floor, Harry realized he was barefoot. His outfit was different, too, than he last remembered wearing. He was in soft pajamas in green and black, no shock there. What was concerning was that he hadn’t been wearing them the last time he was awake.  _ Merlin,  _ had the Dark Lord changed his clothes while he- 

_ No. Not thinking about that. _ Harry decided. He could only handle so much and he’d only been awake now for less than half an hour.  _ Focus on something else, anything else. Oh, the window! _

 

A large unkempt lawn stretched around the castle and a forest beyond that, but it wasn’t the Forbidden Forest. The area was unfamiliar to him. From what little Voldemort’s note had told him he shouldn’t have hoped that it would be Hogwarts, but he couldn’t help himself. It had said to call for one of the house elves for food, and while he didn’t plan on starving, he sure didn’t have an appetite. So exploring the castle it was. 

 

That, and maybe come up with a plan.

 

-

 

Everything was, at long last, coming together for Lord Voldemort. There had been bloodshed on both sides before he had called Harry to him in the forest, and some more still on the side of the rebellion after. Some of the fools still tried to fight the clearly lost battle. However, there were far less dead than he had anticipated. 

 

A good majority of them had willingly surrendered after seeing his Harry at his side. Those that didn’t had been killed or captured. A very small number had fled the battle, one of them being Ronald Weasley. His escape was unfortunate since he knew of Lord Voldemort’s Horcruxes. He would not get far, however. Some of his followers were already tracking him and the others down.

 

Lord Voldemort would hunt down the boy himself, but despite his knowledge of the Horcruxes, he was no longer a threat. The youngest Weasley son was without the other two of the Golden Trio and his two Horcruxes were safe where only he knew. He would let his followers find him, the Dark lord had plenty to do now that Wizarding Britain was under his control. 

 

The days since the battle had been focused on establishing his own laws and putting Wizards and Witches of his choice in charge of old and new departments. The puppet Minister,  Pius Thicknesse, was no longer needed, so he was removed. The position of Minister was no longer needed, in fact. Lord Voldemort would rule so long as he lived. Which, due to his immortality, would be forever. 

 

There was the matter of Hogwarts, too. The ancient school had been through a beating during that battle. The Dark Lord had ordered teams to bringing back the Castle to working order. He himself would rewrite the new curriculum for the school. 

 

He would need to decide on a new Headmaster for the school, as well. When he had killed Severus Snape, he had believed it was an unfortunate necessity. The Dark Lord wanted to be the true owner of the Elder Wand, but it hadn’t even been Snape anyway. It was only through Harry’s memories that the Dark Lord found out about Snape’s deception. Snape had been lucky to die when he did, the traitor. He had been on Dumbledore’s side for years. He had even known that Harry was his Horcrux. He had aided Dumbledore in destroying his Horcruxes.

 

They sat on the former Minister’s desk in front of him now. All of his destroyed Horcruxes were hardly recognisable.

 

Hermione Granger had been useful in finding what remained of his Horcruxes. Seeing the broken and charred pieces of his most guarded treasures enraged the Dark Lord and he was barely able to restrain himself from killing the muggleborn witch. She had immediately been sworn to secrecy on the existence of his Horcruxes. He had contemplated on obliviating the knowledge from her mind, but there was the risk of the brilliant witch figuring it out again. This way she could never tell another soul without forfeiting her own life.

 

The fact that she had surrendered so publicly helped ensure her own survival. If he were to kill her now, others that had given in might change their minds in fear of their own wellbeing. No, Lord Voldemort would place her somewhere in his regime where she had the illusion of importance to appease the masses. The people would be tense and wary for a while, but if they followed his command, they would not have to fear punishment. 

 

Eventually people would grow complacent and would see no reason to rise up against him. 

 

Still seated at the desk, the Dark Lord ran a pale finger over the mangled remains of the Diadem Horcrux. Like the others that sat upon the desk, he felt no connection to the former vessel. His soul was gone from it.

 

There were very few wizards that had ever attempted to create Horcruxes, so information on them was scarce. One of the beliefs written about them, however, was that the destruction of a Horcrux’s vessel would destroy the soul shard. Voldemort had seen no reason to think this was false and certainly never planned on finding out if this was true.

 

His time in Limbo with Harry had pulled this belief into question. He had been able to see through the shard of his soul that resided in Harry. His soul  _ was not _ destroyed with the vessel. If the Dark Lord was right, then his other soul shards were waiting for him in Limbo, too. 

 

If they were, he would find a way to bring them back. 


	4. Chapter 4

_ Hasn’t been used in decades?  _ Harry thought back to Voldemort’s note,  _ It looks like it might not have been for over a century _ .

 

The castle’s disuse was apparent in every room Harry came across. He hoped there was more than one house elf assigned to restoring the place.  _  Magic or not, this is more work than one person can handle, _ Harry thought to himself as he stepped into yet another bedroom. This one was not even half the size of the bedroom he woke up in, containing only a bed and a dresser. The entire room was coated in a thick layer of dust, like the others he had seen. The two pieces of furniture were in good shape, however. Some of the beds in other rooms had caved in in the center, or the chairs, if there were any, looked like their upholstery was rotting away.

 

This room was also a floor up from  _ Voldemort’s  _ room, so if he was going to be stuck here for now, this would be a suitable room for himself. And it did look like he’d be stuck here. He’d found his way out of the castle right away after leaving the bedroom earlier. Eventually finding his way down two flights of stairs to an overly large entrance hall. The doors had been easy enough to push open even though they looked incredibly heavy. 

 

As he had seen from the window, the outside of the castle looked just as unkempt as the inside. 

The large stone steps leading down from the front door had weeds pushing up through cracks and some parts had just crumbled away. What might have been bushes now grew unchecked and blocked some of the first floor windows on the castle. Vines and moss crept up the sides of the structure.

 

What had caught his attention was the stone path, or what he could see of it that hadn’t been reclaimed by grass, that led to a gate on the edge of the property. The entrance to the property was a stone archway with a wrought iron gate that had been left swung open. Harry had been excited at the glimpse of freedom until he felt like he’d walked into an invisible wall. His disappointment was only made worse by the Dark Lords amusement that he could feel through his scar and Nagini’s odd laugh-hissing behind him. 

 

Even with a wand he wouldn’t know how to get past the wards, so without a wand there was nothing that he could do. For now, at least. He wasn’t going to give up, but he knew he wasn’t getting out of here tonight.That brought him to his next goal. Finding a room he could use. He would not be sharing a room with that monster again. The room he’d found would do fine if he could get it cleaned up. The only problem was he had no way to do that. Again, he had no wand and he had no idea where to find cleaning supplies. 

 

He didn’t want to call for whatever poor house elf Voldemort had, but it was his only option if he wanted to get this done before nightfall. 

 

“Pip?” 

 

“Master Potter be calling Pip?” The creature popped into the room. The little elf looked excited to have been called on until his eyes settled on Nagini, who had poked her head up from the other side of the bed. Harry couldn’t get the snake to stop following him, try as he might. With the way the elf hunched in on itself defensively and inched closer to him, Harry imagined Nagini had been terrorizing the unlucky elf while he had been unconscious. 

 

“ _ Have you summoned me a snack, brother?”  _ She asked, drawing more of her coils up onto the bed, the frame creaking under her weight. Maybe it wasn’t in as good of shape as he’d thought.

 

“ _ No! You can’t eat the house elves.”  _ Her tone had sounded oddly playful, something he didn’t expect. Not wanting to take a chance he moved the elf to stand behind him, thinking of some way to discourage Nagini preying on them. “ _ Your master wouldn’t be happy if you ate him.” _

 

_ “Master is always pleased with Nagini. Elves are not very filling anyway.”  _ Yeah, she was messing with him. He really didn’t know how to handle the massive snake. 

 

A high pitched squeak from behind him had him turning his attention away from the nuisance that had become his shadow. The elf only grew more uncomfortable with the hissing of parseltongue.

 

“Master Potter still bes in his pajamas? He must be getting dressed before dinner!” Pip grabbed his hand and the next thing Harry knew he was once again standing in Voldemort’s bedroom. 

 

“Hey!” Uncomfortable or not, he didn’t want to be back in this room. The little thing had let go of Harry’s hand and was pulling on his large ears, obviously sorry. 

 

“Pip sorry! Miss snake scares Pip and Pip thought…” 

 

“No, no, it’s fine.” Harry said in a hurry, before the elf could think to punish himself. “I guess I can enjoy the few minutes I have before Nagini finds me again.”

 

“What did yous be needing from Pip?” 

 

“I was looking to clean up that bedroom I was in. Could you get me some new bedding and some supplies to clean up the room?” 

 

“Pip will do the cleaning! Master Potter must be dressing before dinner!”

 

“Oh no, I don’t want to add to your work. Just the supplies, please, and I’d rather you call me Harry.”

 

“Master Harry be’s too kind, Pip will clean room.” The elf snapped his fingers and a set of clothes appeared on the bed. “Yous be getting ready for dinner!”

 

“But I’m not-” The elf popped out of the room as Harry protested, “...going to dinner.” He quietly finished anyway.

 

There was no way he was attending a dinner with Lord Voldemort of all people. The man was crazy to think Harry would actually show up. Well, willingly at least. He wouldn’t be surprised if the Dark Lord forced him into being there. 

 

But… he did want to find out what had happened to his friends. What happened to Hermione…

 

Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair glancing at the outfit the elf left out for him on the bed. Merlin, he was not going to wear that. The colors on it were, unsurprisingly, predominantly green. He was not going to dress up like a posterboy for Slytherin. 

 

Or, he hoped not, as he eyed the wardrobe in the room. Surely, there was something other than Slytherin colors in there.

 

“ _ Brother! How could you leave Nagini behind!”  _

 

Harry groaned as the massive snake made her presence known. It hadn’t even been ten minutes! Did Voldemort realize how annoying his familiar was?

 

-

 

The Dark Lord missed having his familiar around him. Even before she became his Horcrux, he enjoyed her company. Nagini was rarely away from his side for long. Now that the battle was over, she shouldn’t be in any danger, however he wanted to be sure. For his own safety and hers. The destruction of his other Horcruxes had shaken him. 

 

So, for now, she would stay hidden away with his other remaining Horcrux. His new-found Horcrux that he had planned on having sleep for a while longer. Yet, his precious Nagini was bored locked up in his ancestor’s castle, and he would not deny her this. It mattered little if Harry was awake or not anyway. He was unable to leave the grounds, as the boy had found out earlier. Lord Voldemort felt the push at the wards and his Horcrux’s disappointment and frustration. He had put the boy to sleep originally because he did not have the time at present that he wanted to devote to his prize, busy as he was after the final battle. 

 

Today he would find time. Since he lifted the spell this morning he had been looking forward to returning home to his boy. The thought of him awaiting his Lord’s return pleased him. Granted, the boy would not be looking forward to his arrival yet, but he was waiting all the same. 

 

It was about time the Dark Lord graced him with his presence. With that thought, he spun on the spot and apparated directly into his bedroom. It was empty of both boy and snake, but Nagini at least would feel his arrival and would be heading to him soon. There was no doubt the boy could feel him, too, but he knew the boy was not eager to see him. Someday.

 

“Pip.”

 

“Master called Pip?” The elf popped in, bowing low.

 

“Have the repairs in the dining hall been completed?” He would have liked to have wizards working on the repairs, but he had no plans on allowing anyone access to his home. So house elves it was. Perhaps he would acquire more of them to speed up the restoration now that his Harry was living here.

 

“Yes, Pip and Tessy done cleaning for dinning hall, Master.”

 

“Then have dinner set up there now.”

 

“Yes, right away, Master!” The elf nodded eagerly, “Will yous be needing anything else?” 

 

While he had free access into the boy’s thoughts, he hadn’t listened to every single thought during the day. He was interested in finding out what his Horcrux was up to, other than testing the limits of the wards. 

 

“Did Harry ask you for anything today?”

 

“Just one thing. Master Harry wanted bedroom he finds to be cleaned.”

 

Ah, the boy wanted his own room. That was something he expected, but would not grant. The presence of his two remaining soul pieces soothed him. If he could not have them beside him at present during the day, then at night would suffice for now. Odd that Harry didn’t ask the house elf to get him past the wards. It wouldn’t have worked of course, he had already forbidden the elves from doing such a thing. Still, he was ready for whatever escape attempts his boy would try.

 

“That is all.” He waved at the small creature dismissively. It popped away and Voldemort, too, apparated to the dining hall.

 

The hall was indeed in much better shape than the last time he’d seen it. The stone columns and arches were no longer crumbling. Tapestries in green and silver hung proudly on the walls again, no longer dusty piles on the floor. The tall windows were clean and the broken panes replaced. Yes, tomorrow he would add more house elves to his staff. Seeing the castle returning to its former glory was incredibly satisfying. It had sat dormant for too many years, the last few generations of the Gaunt line having been too magically weak to access the place. 

 

He made his way over to the freshly polished long wooden table. Sitting at his spot at the head of the table, he watched as plates appeared along with dishes and bowls filled with food appeared on its surface. He felt Nagini’s presence drawing closer, she was probably annoyed that he apparated from the room a floor up to here, as she would have been heading there and needed to change course. 

 

“ _ Master! Nagini did not eat one of the small creatures though she wanted to today!”  _

 

She was quick to slither her way over to him and up his chair, settling to rest her head on his shoulder. “ _ Very good, my dear. Did it please you having Harry awake today?”  _ He reached his skeletal hand to pet her head. 

 

“ _ Brother does not seem to like Nagini.  We went outside, but he did not want to watch Nagini hunt.”  _ She pouted, flicking her tongue out and hitting him on the cheek. “ _ Nagini will win him over, he will see how amazing Nagini is!” _

 

“ _ Of course. In time he will adore you as much as I.” _

 

Sensing the subject of their conversation nearing, Lord Voldemort set his gaze on the door to the hall. The doors remained shut, however. It seemed that his Harry was hesitant to enter, so with a wave of his hand he had the doors open into the room instead. His Horcrux looked surprised before his face formed into a scowl. 

 

Harry reluctantly made his way over to the table, looking up at the decor in the hall as he did. The Dark Lord pushed the chair out nearest to him on his right with another wave of his hand. Harry sat stiffly, and Voldemort picked up on a thought passing through the boy’s head.

 

_ Merlin, it looks like Slytherin won the House Cup in here.  _

 

“That was a regular occurrence during my time at Hogwarts.”  The Dark Lord said a small smirk lifting the corner of his lipless mouth. He started filling his own plate. There were far more dishes than the two of them could eat, but the Dark Lord had no idea what his Horcrux liked to eat. There was much to learn about his Harry.

 

“Stay out of my head!” His hand shot up to cover his scar, as if that would block his soul’s mind from his. 

 

“I see no reason to. After all, my Horcrux, you welcomed me back into your soul.”

 

Harry recoiled at that statement, and his shame shone clearly through the bond. His green eyes, drifting down to stare at his hands in his lap.

 

“I shouldn’t have.” He started off, uncharacteristically mellow, “Dumbledore told me there was nothing I could do to help you. I shouldn’t have even turned around.” Ah, he could feel the boy’s fury building now, along with hurt. He’d really been hopeful that the soul shard was going to help him. Be someone he could rely on when he was so lost. “If I had just left that mangled piece of you behind, I could have defeated you and been free of your stain on my soul.”

 

Lord Voldemort was a stain on his soul? It was a shame how misguided the boy was. He did not see yet what an honor it was to carry a shred of the Dark Lord’s soul. It was something not even his most devout followers could ever dream of becoming. Not for the first time, Lord Voldemort regretted not noticing the boy was his Horcrux sooner. Dumbledore had poisoned his own soul’s mind against him. He’d be patient with the boy, in a way he never was for any other.

 

“But you did, and now I shall keep you safe.” 

 

The boy was quiet after that, but his thoughts were a jumbled mess. The Dark Lord turned back to his meal, hoping the boy would finally follow suit and eat also. Those months on the run had not been kind to his soul’s vessel. 

 

“I know you haven’t called for the house elves more than once today, so you have not eaten. You should eat more, it is not good for your health.”

 

“You’re only worried about the stupid Horcrux in me.” 

 

“Regardless, your well being is now important to Lord Voldemort.”

 

“My…  my  _ well being?”  _ Harry sputtered, bewildered. “You’ve locked me in  _ an abandoned castle with an annoying ten foot snake!” _

 

“Yes, it is where you are safest.” He glanced down at Harry’s empty plate. “Eat your dinner, Harry.”

 

“I don’t care about food!” He shoved his chair back and stood, fists clenched at his sides. “I want to know what’s going on! What happened to my friends? What did you do to Hermione?” 

 

“There’s no need for yelling, Harry. I’m right here.” He answered calmly. “Your friend is well, as I promised to those that surrendered. She has sworn to never speak of or do any harm to my Horcruxes again.”

 

“I don’t believe you. I want to see her.”

 

“No, you won’t be leaving here until I am absolutely sure you are safe, my Horcrux.”

 

“Just when would that be?” 

 

“I have just gained control. Once the people have calmed down and trust me more I may take you or Nagini with me sometime. While you remain the only two of my Horcruxes, however, one of you must always remain here.” 

 

The boy hadn’t expected anything else, he could gather from his thoughts. In fact, the boy expected to remain trapped here forever. That was untrue, the Dark Lord could not wait to have Harry stand at his side. Before that could happen, he’d have to restore his broken Horcruxes.

 

“So, never?” The boy was still angry, but he could feel disappointment rising up again in him. “It’s not like anyone that looks at your hideous face will trust you. They’ll always  _ fear  _ you and want to revolt.”

 

Harry made to leave the dining hall, but The Dark Lord did not feel like stopping him, his mind now turning with a new idea. He hardly noticed the click of the door shutting behind Harry.

 

He was right, he was not unaware of what people, both enemy and ally, thought of his snake-like visage. Lord Voldemort did not care about his own appearance, it had even been helpful in battle. The weak were frightened by his looks. He could still go on as he was, he knew. Most would cower away from him, never thinking of standing against him. Those that did, he would no doubt be able to handle.

 

However, If he could do away with those rebellions entirely, then all the better for him. 

 

It would help with Harry, too, he thought with a grin. With a human face it would be much easier to gain Harry’s trust. He had glanced through his boy’s memories when he had time as the boy slept. Focussing on the boy’s interactions with his other Horcruxes, specifically the Diary. Harry had found Tom Riddle handsome and hadn’t suspected him even when he first ran into him down in the chamber. Instead he’d tried warning him of the basilisk.

 

Yes, he liked the idea more and more. He could come up with a solution to return his old guise to him, but as much as he would like to, it fell low on his list of priorities. Severus Snape may be dead, but he could have Horace Slughorn be assigned to the challenge. His former head of house would be honored to aid him. The Dark Lord would inform him of his task tomorrow morning.

 

Having eaten enough, he rose from his chair, Nagini slithering down to follow next to him.

 

“ _ I heard Harry wants his own room.” _

 

“ _ Brother says he doesn’t want to stay in your nest.”  _ Nagini confirmed in a confused tone.

 

_ “He will get used to it, do not worry.”  _ He hissed back, heading to wherever in the castle he could feel his sulking Horcrux was hiding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh, so, I’ve got a few questions. Since this was intended as a one-shot, the tags so far are only really descriptive of the original chapter. Would adding more now spoil the story, or would you all prefer to see that, since the story might take turns you don’t like. I don’t want anyone to regret reading later. Especially if this story ends up being as long as I think it’ll be now.   
> One of those that I was thinking about was Mpreg, but it’s still something far off. I know it’s not for everyone, so I could potentially end the story before that, and continue with it in another. 
> 
> Thanks again for everyone that has been reading and commenting! You’ve no idea how happy you’ve all made me. :)


	5. Chapter 5

When Harry opened his eyes the following morning, to his great relief, the Dark Lord had already left. He wasn’t happy to be in  _ his  _ room again, but he was glad he didn’t have to see the pale snake-faced monster as he started his day. 

 

He’d foolishly thought yesterday evening, when he had left the dining hall uninterrupted, that he might be left alone. That he would be able to retreat to the small room he’d found  _ alone _ . Unfortunately that had not been the case. The Dark Lord found him soon after in the small, freshly cleaned room he had planned on claiming for himself. He had flopped onto the soft bed to lie on his back, silently thanking the elves for finishing so quickly, to try and calm his own temper when the Dark Lord appeared in the doorway. 

 

Angry as he was, Harry had hardly paid attention to what he had to say about how Voldemort wanted his two ‘precious horcruxes’ near him now since he couldn’t during the day. How being around them  _ soothed his soul,  _ or some crap. He’d replied with something along the lines of ‘you’ve hidden them away for years’ and that he ‘shouldn’t need them now’. Then, when the Dark Lord told him he wasn’t asking, Harry snapped and threw a pillow from the bed at him. So that part might have been a little childish, but Harry wanted a reaction. Wanted to see the monster behave as he was supposed to.

 

Voldemort’s unflinchingly calm demeanor since he was discovered to be a Horcrux unsettled Harry. Harry had come to expect cruel words from him and crueler punishments. That the darkest wizard alive was not behaving that way was leaving Harry unsure how to act around him. 

 

So when the pillow flopped to the floor and Voldemort lifted his wand with a softly spoken  _ That will be enough _ , Harry grinned and braced himself for the cruciatus. Braced himself for the searing, intense, agonizing feeling of pain everywhere.

 

Only to feel nothing.

 

He felt  _ nothing _ . Just like the time in the forest. Instead of cursing him, he’d simply taken his emotions again. His mounting anger and momentary flash of triumph had gone. Just nothing for several heartbeats while he sat there as Voldemort’s own mild exasperation and amusement trickled through the bond. Then, taken Harry  _ by the hand  _ back to Voldemort’s room with the sound of Nagini’s now familiar laughter trailing behind them. 

 

Thankfully, that was pretty much the extent of their interaction for the evening. Upon reaching the room Voldemort led him to one of the two chairs in front of the fireplace before taking the other and summoning a book for himself. Nagini, the opportunist, quickly settled around Harry once more to request pets. It was then that he felt a rush through the bond, of what he might have called affection if the feeling hadn’t originated from Voldemort.  

 

He’d no idea how long they sat there while Voldemort looked through books about things he’d probably rather not want to know. At least, if the irritation Voldemort was sending was anything to go by every time he set down closed a book, he hadn’t found whatever evil spell he was looking for.  Eventually he’d decided it was time for bed and magicked pajamas onto the both of them. Harry had passed out quickly after, maybe due to another spell, but he wasn’t certain.

 

Now, the following morning, Harry was regretting his rebellious attitude putting him in that situation. 

 

_ Merlin _ , Harry thought, pressing his face into the bedding,  _ I’d rather Voldemort had just cursed me _ . He knew that Voldemort was protective of his Horcruxes, but this was ridiculous. Soul-vessel or not, Harry was his enemy. One moment had changed years of Voldemort seeing the chosen one as his number one enemy to... well, he wasn’t sure what Voldemort saw him as. Disobedient child? Pet? He felt so embarrassed. He’d hold his temper tonight, or try his hardest, because he would rather not be treated like a doll or whatever the insane wizard pictured him as. 

 

Having enough of his self pity, Harry swung his legs over the side of the bed. He grabbed his glasses on the way over to the wardrobe, then headed for the connected bathroom. 

 

When he stepped out of the bathroom slightly more than a quarter of an hour later, the table in the room had already been set for breakfast. He was itching to get outside, but his stomach protested the idea of skipping breakfast after he had skipped all his meals yesterday. So Harry settled down in one of the two chairs. The elf from yesterday, Pip, popped into the room startling him.

 

“Morning, Master Harry. Can I be getting you a drink, sir?”

 

“Er, pumpkin juice, please?” Harry requested, then looked around the room noticing the absence of a large serpent, “Oh, did he take Nagini with him today?”

 

Voldemort had said yesterday that he wasn’t planning on taking either of them outside of the castle’s protections until it was safe for them. But, if it meant he didn’t have her following him all day, then he hoped Voldemort changed his mind. 

 

“No, miss snake out hunting. Anything else, sir?” Pip said, sounding relieved that she was not in the room, and snapping a glass of pumpkin juice onto the table next to Harry’s plate.

 

“Oh, no. Thank you.”

 

That was disappointing. He wanted to get outside after breakfast, he wasn’t able to really leave, but being outside helped make him feel a little less trapped. The property was large, though, maybe he wouldn’t encounter her. Yeah, he’d hold onto that hope for now, he thought, reaching for the bacon.

 

-

 

As expected Nagini found him while he explored the boundaries of the wards, her own breakfast a large lump in her belly. His surveying of the ward’s edge didn’t help him, so he ventured into the overgrown garden on the backside of the castle. He’d found, after wandering through the dense vegetation a hidden picnic area. The stone fountains had dried up, moss coating the rims. The same for the stone benches in the area, but they were still standing at least.

 

He rested there for a while, pretending he was anywhere else, and doing his best to ignore Nagini. Pip brought him lunch there, upon finding him, some couple hours later. When he finished, he reluctantly made his way back into the castle hoping to find a library.

 

-

 

Two unfamiliar elves were already in the library when Harry entered. Luckily, for the poor little creatures, Nagini had decided to remain outside in the warm sun. Both elves stopped cleaning when they spotted him asking if he needed anything from them, only returning when he assured them he didn’t.  _ They could probably show me where the books I’m looking for are, but I don’t want Voldemort knowing what I’m looking at.  _ It would take longer to find on his own, but it would be better this way. 

 

The elves were doing an amazing job of cleaning up the massive library, but there were still areas that they clearly hadn’t reached yet. Some bookcases, covered with a disgusting amount of dust, had books upon their shelves that looked like they’d fall apart if he touched them. 

 

Not wanting to accidentally damage any, especially if he ended up needing one of them, he moved to parts of the library that were already cleaned. He grabbed a few books that looked promising and carried them over to a clean table by a tall window. Selecting the smallest from the pile, he flipped it open and set to reading. 

 

Voldemort’s arrival at the castle later that day came all too soon. He wasn’t in the library, but Harry knew he was back nonetheless. Harry jumped to put the books back where he found them. He’d learned more about wards today than he had in his entire Hogwarts career, but not what he’d needed. They had all been about the types of wards and how to place them. He might be able to identify the type of ward around the castle now, but no idea on how to remove it, or get through it. 

 

Before hurrying from the library Harry grabbed the first non-dark looking book he came across and asked one of the elves to bring it to the bedroom. He was going to do his best to keep from giving Voldemort any reason to use that spell again. If he demanded Harry’s presence again, like Harry expected he would, Harry wanted to have something to do other than petting Nagini. 

 

-

 

Voldemort was waiting for him again when he arrived in the dining hall. As they ate, the Dark Lord tried to start up a conversation, but, not trusting himself, Harry remained quiet. It didn’t seem to faze Voldemort one bit, as he continued on anyway aiming his attention at Nagini instead. 

 

Harry somehow managed to keep from lashing out the entire night. No doubt Voldemort could hear every offensive thought Harry had about him all night, but it seemed the Dark Lord was appeased enough by his compliance to not mention it. At least, not until it was time for bed and Harry couldn’t calm his mind down enough to sleep. Harry’s thoughts on how unpleasant it was to have to share a bed with a scaly pale monster must have come across too loudly, for Harry was suddenly waking up to find it was morning. A sleeping charm was incredibly tame in comparison to what the Dark Lord probably wanted to do. 

 

This day and the following week passed in much the same way. Harry found it easy to fall into a routine. He’d wake up in the morning, clean up, and then eat the breakfast the elves provided him. After that he’d explore outside and see if he could recognise anything about the wards from whatever books he’d read the day before until Pip found him for lunch. Then before Voldemort returned he spent as much time as he could looking for answers to his plight in the library.  Most nights, Harry was proud to say, he kept his temper in check, but not all of them. One positive Harry thought, was that having the Dark Lord seal away his emotions only motivated him more in his research the following day.

 

The cycle was interrupted one morning when Harry noticed there was something else on the table when he sat down for breakfast.

 

It was a thin unmarked tome that Harry would never have picked up on his own. It was definitely old and it was entirely handwritten, though not all by the same person. It appeared to have been taken over by a new person every dozen pages or so. 

 

The first few pages were about basic wards, ones that did not prevent people from coming and going, but dissuading them from doing so. Ones that alerted the master of the house of who was entering and when. An unplottable ward. As he got further in, the wards depicted were stronger and more protective. Wards that prevented strangers from entering and even causing harm to those that tried. It wasn’t until he got to a ward that described how it was built into the castle’s foundations that Harry realized the entire book was about  _ this  _ castle. 

 

There wasn’t one ward keeping him in. There were centuries of wards built on top of each other, put in place by the current Lord of the castle at the time. They were intertwined and even if he had his wand he had no idea of how he would even begin to dismantle any of them. Or, if he even could.

 

Voldemort controlled them now and he would be the only one capable of it, too, being the last of his line. Outsiders had to be let in by the Lord or Lady of the castle and only at the gate out in the front. The same for leaving. Harry may be the Dark Lord’s Horcrux, but if Harry was unable to get through the wards it obviously wasn’t enough for the wards to recognize him as one of the family. The only way for an outsider to be added to the wards was through marriage or blood adoption. Neither of those options were things he was willing to even contemplate, let alone do. 

 

It was no surprise, Harry thought to himself, that the castle had sat empty for so long. An ancestor some couple centuries back had made it so that the Lord had to have a certain amount of power to take control of the wards. Something about how he believed that only those of pure blood would have the power necessary and this would prevent the  _ impure  _ from trying to claim rights to the property. From the memories Dumbledore shared of Riddle’s family they hardly had any magical abilities, and hadn’t even been accepted into Hogwarts, despite their Pureblood lineage. So that obviously failed.

 

Harry had no way of knowing if Voldemort had left him the tome because he was in his head, or if he had asked the house elves what Harry was up to. It didn’t really matter anyway, he was upset either way. He knew he had no privacy and no freedom. He  _ knew  _ that. This, though, the combined obvious invasion of privacy and the realization of how securely he was locked up had Harry’s frustration rising. Oh,  _ sure, _ Voldemort had said that he wanted to take Harry with him eventually. How could he trust that that wasn’t a lie to appease him? 

 

That was all he had, wasn’t it? His only hope was that Voldemort would be  _ kind enough  _ to take Harry along with him someday. He would no doubt be watched incredibly closely during that time, too. How far off would that be, if that was true? Voldemort said he was going to wait until things had calmed down. What did that mean to him? Would that be weeks, months,  _ years _ ? That is, if the Dark Lord hadn’t lied about that, too. Would Harry ever be able to leave.

 

He was starting to panic. There was no way he could eat anything now. If only he had his broom, flying always helped. That was just another frustration to add to his list now. He didn’t have a lot of belongings that mattered to him, and now he had nothing. The only items of value he had brought with him into the forest were his wand and invisibility cloak. He hadn’t seen either since. 

 

It was only morning. He wouldn’t have to deal with Voldemort until dinner. He could pull himself together in the hours until then. Probably.

 

\- 

 

That had been wishful thinking.

 

By the time Voldemort returned to the castle later that day, Harry hadn’t been able to calm down. It was the opposite, really. The more the day had gone on, the angrier over the situation Harry had become. Voldemort had started talking about the restoration of Hogwarts, perhaps thinking that it was a safe topic as the monster was sure to have felt the hatred in Harry’s thoughts.

 

It worked at first, too. Harry wasn’t upset that the castle was being mended, obviously. He was upset that the his first real home had been the scene for a horrid battle, yes, but he was glad to know that it would be reopened eventually. The restoration was probably the one thing he was okay with Voldemort doing.

 

However, when he started speaking of the Carrows remaining on as professors, he couldn’t keep himself from arguing. 

 

“The Carrows? You’re seriously keeping them in Hogwarts?” Harry hadn’t had to deal with them as his teachers personally, but he’d heard about how horribly they had treated the students. 

 

Harry had avoided talking to Voldemort for long enough it seemed that the dark lord was momentarily shocked at Harry replying. His blood red eyes widened a fraction and he paused in what he had been saying before replying.

 

“Yes. They are qualified for the positions. Plus, they already have a year’s worth of experience teaching and their-”

 

“ _ Experience _ ? They don’t have experience in  _ teaching.  _ They torment students! But, that suits you just fine doesn’t it?” Harry seethed. “As long as they leave the Slytherins alone, who cares for the rest of the students, huh?”

 

“That is not my intention. The reports I have received about their time at Hogwarts were favorable.”

 

“Yeah, I’m sure you enjoyed what you heard about them.” He shouldn’t let his temper get the best of him, but Harry couldn’t stop, “What did you claim in the battle? If you surrender you will be safe? Not even  _ children  _ at Hogwarts are safe from your rule, are they? But this wouldn’t be the first time you lied to me, huh,  _ Tom _ ?”

 

“Harry-”

 

“ _ Shut up!  _ I don’t want to hear it!” 

 

He’d probably regret it later, but Harry couldn’t stand to be in the same room as the monster anymore, so he stormed out of the room. He was so angry. So guilty, too. He had been the reason, as Voldemort liked to remind him, that so many had surrendered to the Dark Lord. They thought they would be safe, that their friends and family would be safe, but were they? He felt like he had led them to an even worse situation. 

 

Harry let his feet carry him out to the gate that marked the edge of the property. Merlin, he’d let everyone down. Everyone that had counted on him and believed in him were now suffering from his mistakes. Voldemort would destroy their world, wouldn’t he? Trapped as he was, Harry was powerless to stop him.

 

He wanted  _ out. _ He wanted to be away from Voldemort and his stupid castle. He slammed his fists onto the invisible barrier keeping him trapped. It didn’t hurt as much as it probably should have, and that only managed to make him angrier, slamming his fists again and again and again. His vision blurred and he realised he was crying. 

 

Now that the tears had started, he couldn’t get them to stop. He hadn’t cried since he woke up here. He’d been angry, frustrated, and determined during that time. He had been sad, sure, at times over his situation, but he hadn’t allowed himself to dwell on it too long. Now it was all pouring out.

 

His strength drained from him as fast as his anger did and he dropped down to his knees, the rock that made up the path likely bruising his kneecaps. He choked out loud sobs as he wrapped his arms around himself, curling forward. 

 

He could feel Voldemort’s presence drawing nearer, so he tried to pull himself back together.  _ Why was it so hard to breathe? _

 

It wasn’t working, he was still trembling with soft sobs when he heard Voldemort’s steps stop behind him. 

 

“Let me go.” So much for his strength, even his voice trembled, hardly a whisper. All those times he stood up to Voldemort and now he couldn’t even turn and lift his eyes to look at the monster as he begged to be freed. 

 

“Harry.” Voldemort was calm once again, even though he should have been cursing Harry for his outbursts. “No matter how much you wish it, you cannot stop being my Horcrux. Even if you were to escape, with our bond, there is nowhere you can hide from me. I will always find you.” 

 

The Dark Lord spoke as if that was a good thing. As if that would comfort him. But, the reminder of the horrible shard of soul wedged within his own only caused another cry from his lips. Harry didn’t know what to say back to that.

 

“You said it yourself, ‘it’s over’.” Voldemort tried again, “There is no more war to fight. It’s time to rebuild. Time to make our world what it should be, my soul. Will you wallow in your misery, or would you rather help me shape  _ our  _ world?”

 

“You would listen to my input?” It was phrased as a question, but Harry’s quiet voice lacked the infliction at the end. It was nearly monotone, with a hint of disbelief.

 

“I will be honest with you, my soul. We think very differently, so I would value your perspective. I’m sure you won’t be surprised that there are some matters that I will not bend on. Despite all odds, you genuinely  _ care  _ for the people. You can voice their side to me, so in some cases we can compromise.” Voldemort sounded like he couldn’t understand why Harry would care for the others. Well, he probably couldn’t being the nearly-soulless monster he was.

 

“You say that, but you’ll never compromise. I’d just be wasting my time.” He finally managed to get his breathing back to a more normal and swiped his sleeve across his face in a vain attempt to clean it up. 

 

“What about the Hogwarts professors I chose? Earlier you had mentioned that you, ah,  _ disliked  _ the Carrows.”

 

“Of course! They’re the worst!” That had him glaring tiredly through his smudged glasses at the monster over his shoulder.

 

“But  _ why,  _ Harry.” The Dark Lord took a step closer, “Tell me  _ why  _ they are unsuitable.” 

 

“I only saw a little of them when they were in the school.” Harry didn’t think it would make a difference, but he spoke anyway, “They tortured the students. I heard from the others what they had been doing all year. They didn’t capture me at Hogwarts and were going to blame a student for summoning you. Like they were expendable... No one should fear being at Hogwarts. I doubt even your Slytherins were truly okay with everything.”

 

“I see. The reports I had received about them were missing those details. You are right, Hogwarts is, and always should be a safe place. I will find others better suited for their posts. I will see to punishing their planned deception of me, as well.”

 

“R-really? Just like that?” He couldn’t believe it. Would Voldemort really do that? Harry turned, still on the ground to stare wide-eyed up at him. 

 

He continued to stare as the Dark Lord bent down to one knee, still towering over him even then, and reached a hand to wipe a bit of the remaining tears from Harry’s face. 

 

“You made a good point, Harry. Despite what you still think of me, I want what is best for our world.” He kept his hand on Harry’s face, thumb tracing circles on his cheek, while he continued, voice soft, ”Someday, I hope you see that, my soul.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Voldemort really believes he's doing what's best. Whether or not it is remains to be seen. lol
> 
> Sorry it took so long between updates. I'm in the middle of an accelerated course and barely finished this. Hope to be able to write more once I'm done with that!
> 
> I had planned on speeding this up, because I feel like the story is dragging along and not going anywhere, but I may have sped it up too much. The entire last part wasn't intended to happen yet, but I thought what the heck lets do this. haha It also ended up making this chapter about a thousand words longer than the others were. 
> 
> Thanks again for all the kind comments! You are all so amazing. I'll try to reply to everyone, but I'll probably be offline for another few days.


End file.
